


Love

by BlueDysania



Series: Mettasans EMOTIONS [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Bedtime Stories, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M, Sleepy Cuddles, exhausted sans, humans racist against monsters, job searching, mettaton is a good boyfriend, mettaton loves sans, overworked sans, sans loves his bro, sanses and stars, worried mettaton
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-23 05:25:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11983089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueDysania/pseuds/BlueDysania
Summary: There are a lot of ways to show that you love someone. It doesn't have to be big. It doesn't have to be grand. Sometimes it isn't even an act done for your lover, though if it does it doesn't hurt.In which Mettaton is there for the skeleton brothers and Sans makes a few choices in his life.





	Love

**Author's Note:**

> second in a set of ten

Sans cursed to himself as he checked his phone again. Tucking it away before his store manager caught him, he forced himself to control his anger and stock shelf after shelf with can after can. This happened more and more often than he liked. Despite Frisk and their adopted parent's best efforts, monster equality wasn't exactly moving forward.

Labor laws didn't 'technically' apply to them and so Sans had been 'asked' more than once to stay behind and 'pick up some slack' or 'get ahead for tomorrow'. At first it had been just a half an hour, then his boss started saying an hour, and now he was pushing near two hours from when he was supposed to be off.

And he wasn't going to be paid for it either. When he checked his paystubs, he found that he had been clocked off according to his scheduled time, regardless of when he had actually left work. It wasn't like he could really complain about it either. Regardless of the massive overtime he wasn't being paid for, no one would do anything about it but fire him. Then they'd just hire another desperate monster and do the same damn thing until that monster quit or got fired and it would happen all over again.

He'd hidden the evidence from his brother, not wanting to cause him any worry. He'd tried to hide it from Mettaton too, but after being forced to arrive late to too many dinner dates, he'd been… confronted. Or rather, he'd found Mettaton in their apartment instead of Papyrus.

He would discover later that Mettaton had asked Alphys to ask Undyne to ask Papyrus over for a sleepover.

**That probably should have been, well not the first, but one of the more obvious signs.**

 

* * *

 

Still stunned at the sight of Mettaton lounging on their couch when he walked through the door, he just stared as Mettaton strode over and picked him up effortlessly. As soon as he registered nothing but air under his feet however he blurted out, "What are you doing here?"

Mettaton hummed at him, a small smile on his pink-painted lips but he said nothing.

There was an awkward minute of silence before Sans wriggled in Mettaton's grip but he was securely in the robot's grip. He frowned, looking down at the distance between himself and the ground. Damn Mettaton and his long -ohmystarsgorgeous- legs.

"Oh Sansy. We are going to have a talk now." His eyes flashed with a neon glow mischievously. "And as I know your fondness for… disappearing…" Sans found himself carried to the couch and curled securely to Mettaton's soft cashmere sweater as he sat down and then reclined into another lounge. His steel-strong arms kept Sans tucked to his chest and he was further entrapped when the throw blanket on the back of the couch was draped over them.

Held hostage by comfort and warmth.

What a bastard.

Sans was wholly ready to go limp and not look at this set-up to hard when he heard Mettaton coo his name and the sound of paper rustling above his head. He turned his head and peeked upwards.

' _shit._ ' Was his first thought as he buried his face back into Mettaton's chest. How had Mettaton gotten his hands on his paystubs? Actually, yeah, that was a good question and without moving, he asked it.

"I did some digging, darling. You've been quite absent lately, and even after we scheduled our little engagements so carefully too. My calendar alone is a dreadfully full one at times but even I can meet a deadline. You should have not missed our dates. You can't deny it." Mettaton said softly, chidingly.

Sans said nothing and he heard Mettaton huff, "I may be a superstar but if you recall, my other body is quite literally a calculator. Even if I wasn't, anyone could do the math. You. Are being overworked and aren't being paid what you deserve… are you?"

Stars, what he wouldn't give to say no. Sans instead decided to keep playing the card that worked and began to rub a section of fleece between his fingers, silently. Mettaton too, was quiet. Sans could hear the gentle flutter of paper being dropped somewhere, he didn't care to know. He remained tense, waiting for another accusation he wouldn't be able to deny. The minutes passed and all he received was Mettaton's now free hand idly petting the back of his neck and shoulders.

It was enough to relax into. Which was when Mettaton made his next move.

"Darling, please, quit your job."

Sans sighed heavily. This wasn't a new request in the slightest. Only the tone had changed. Before, Mettaton had been his usual outgoing self with the belief that his lover and lover's brother should not work if they didn't have too. Of course, Papyrus needed to work, it was his nature and he loved the activity of it. And Sans, a self-proclaimed lazybones, had said no to the offer as well. He hadn't explained himself either, simply refused the offer.

This time, Mettaton just sounded… sad.

"i can't not work, Metta." He muttered, being reluctantly soothed by Mettaton's gentle rubs along his neck. He received a soft scoff in answer.

"Of course, you can, darling. You do realize that my career is not one to leave me wanting for money. Far from it! I am slowly accumulating more than even I can spend! And you're my dear lovely Blue, so obviously, it is yours as well!"

Stars, he sounded so blasé about it and worst of all, Sans knew he meant every word this time and the time before. Sans had refused to leave his job last time.

He had good reason!

He didn't know how long this could last. How could he? After Frisk had broken the RESET button, whatever that meant, he'd finally begun to believe that the Surface was permanent. And everything that came with it. But the fear of waking up in Snowdin was not an easy one to forget.

And Sans was… not used to counting on anyone but his brother. He liked Mettaton a lot. More than a lot! The idea of being left behind, and the thought hurt his Soul, and not having something to fall back on if he was? It was terrifying. He had to take care of his brother and for his whole life, that meant not trusting others to take care of them.

It had made life hard in the Underground and on the Surface. His bones ached all the time, he was so exhausted that his sockets were scored with blue; but it also meant he couldn't be caught off guard. Or be disappointed.

So, he just couldn't accept what Mettaton was offering. He was still making the money needed to keep his brother and himself afloat even with the unpaid hours. Mettaton had nothing else to-

"You're so unhappy Sans." His lover whispered.

 

* * *

 

Sans thumped his head against a box of cereal at the memory of his robofriend's despondent tone. Stars, Mettaton should never sound that way. He was a Soul of Justice. He, like Papyrus, should always be bright and exhilarating to witness. In the end, that had been the last they'd spoken of it.

He'd ended up falling asleep in Mettaton's arms, but he could remember hearing Mettaton sigh and whisper against his skull, "Oh, darling… why won't you let me help you?"

That particular conversation had been nearly two months ago and it had only gotten worse. Night by night he was being convinced that maybe, perhaps, it wouldn’t be too bad to take Mettaton up on his offer. At least until he found a fresh job. It was getting ridiculous. He could handle the injustice to himself but it was starting to affect his brother and that was something that never sat well with Sans.

It wasn't a very well-known fact, but Papyrus was farsighted. It was why Sans had never stopped their bedtime story tradition. His brother could read text with large words or acute contrast more easily, but it still required him to strain his sight and it tended to give him horrible headaches.

Sans could remember when his babybones brother first asked him for his help reading his Fluffy Bunny books. It warmed his Soul that night and every night, every hundreds of thousands of nights that followed. It made hard days worth it. Now, with his forced overtime he was continuously home too late to give his baby brother a bedtime story.

Or worse, Papyrus would stay up later in order to greet him and would result in him being more tired the next day. It was a bitter arrangement and the one thing that was pushing him toward doing the unbelievable.

He finally finished stocking the aisle, a full two hours after his shift and he jogged to the back of the store, breaking it down and throwing it with the other pile of cardboard he had gone through.

Sans peeked out into the main section of the store and saw the register empty. Unable to teleport with security cameras trained on the entire store, he moved as quickly as his aching bones would let him. Reaching the register, he clocked out and had a moment of bitter awareness that he could have walked out without doing this. It's not like it mattered when he actually left, right?

He shook the negative thought away and headed straight for the door. Geeze, it was already going on two in the morning. Papyrus would be asleep already… maybe. Stars he hoped his brother had just gone to bed. Papyrus had begun making it a habit of waiting up for him back when Sans had started coming home at midnight.

Though, whenever he got home this last week, it seemed Papyrus was already tucked in and fast asleep. Which was good; despite the pang of loneliness it gave him sometimes. Sans told himself every time he felt that way, that even with Papyrus' boundless energy in the Underground, even the coolest of skeletons needed to recharge his magic. Plus, Papyrus had a morning shift at the restaurant.

' _please, be asleep, please, please._ ' Sans chanted to himself as he made his way to the doors.

"Hey! Serif!"

' _fuck._ ' Sans turned around with a flat grin, "Boss."

"I need you to come in early tomorrow. Bobby called out. Said he's going be too sick to make it in." His boss said with a hardly concealed smirk. Sans fumed internally. Bobby was a recent hire too drunk to walk a straight line most days. Which was fine, because _apparently_ Sans could pick up all his slack. Or cover his shift and Sans' own in a _single day_ because Bobby was going to be too hungover to work at all.

His boss continued to look down on him, smirking smugly, and Sans muttered through gritted teeth, "sure."

"Good. Be here at 9am sharp. Bobby had the opening shift."

Sans stared at the human strutting back toward the office and felt his bones, aching already, ache some more from the angry tremors suffusing through them. He stiffly turned and pushed out into the chill of 2am. The cold wind helped to calm him, but Sans wished it didn't. He didn't want to think about the fact he had to be back at this godforsaken store in less than seven hours for another twelve-plus hour shift. The thought made him want to just collapse on the sidewalk and pass out.

The idea of sleep encouraged him to hurry toward an alley and once inside, he shortcutted to his front door. He slumped against the wood for a moment, panting from the exertion. Opening the door, he peeked inside and was relieved to find it dark. A quick glance up the stairs at the banister revealed that Papyrus' door was shut. He couldn't see or hear any signs of Papyrus being awake. That was good. Stars, he missed his bro, but health over happiness, right?

Right.

Sans closed the door, locking it out of habit. Kicking off his shoes, he made his way up the stairs. He'd just take a quick look. Just to make sure that Papyrus was asleep; and okay.

As he dragged his weary bones up the stairs however he furrowed his brow and paused. He could hear a low, whispery-like voice coming from behind his brother's door. That voice…

Sans reached the door and pushed it open quietly.

And stared.

Mettaton was sitting prompted up against the racecar bed's headboard, one long leg hanging off the edge as he turned a page softly and continued reading in an even softer voice.

**Maybe…**

Sans stood in the doorway, for how long he wasn't sure, until Mettaton looked up and smiled. He was gestured forward with a small wave and Sans made his way over, climbing up onto the bed before collapsing into Mettaton's lap. He would have been happy to just sprawl there but happily let hands maneuver him to leaning against Mettaton's chest. The book was lowered into his lap and the soft murmur began again.

**… it would be okay?**

Sans blinked sleepily at the book before glancing over at the bedside table. There was a stack on it, the entire series of Fluffy Bunny. Had Mettaton read all of them to Papyrus?

Looking over at his brother, Sans was relieved to see his peaceful, smiling face. He was asleep. In a deep sleep that only being read to can manage for him. Warmth glowed in his Soul and he relaxed against Mettaton. An arm came around his middle, holding him close, and Sans let his eyelights fall back to the book. He traced the words as Mettaton read them, smiling contentedly…

 

"Sans… Sans~. Wake up for a moment."

Sans groaned softly, nuzzling into the warm material his head lay against.

"Only for a moment, my darling."

Prying his sockets open, he blinked blearily upwards and smiled sleepily up at Mettaton.

"There you are." Mettaton hummed, kissing his brow, "Come, time for us to go to sleep as well."

Sans only held his arms up. He doubted he could make the trip down the hall to his bedroom. He doubted he could make it to the hall. Mettaton laughed softly, pulling him up into his arms and standing. Mettaton paused and Sans looked over in time to see Mettaton securing the blankets around Papyrus with one hand.

**i love you.**

Then they were out into the hall, then his bedroom, and then Sans felt himself being set onto fluffy heaven. How could he have ever protested Mettaton buying him this bed? Sure, it was expensive, but Stars, did it feel so good against his aching body. The bed dipped beside him and he heard the telltale electronic beep that told him that Mettaton had plugged in his battery. Blindly reaching, he was going to adamantly refuse to open his sockets for the rest of the night, he sighed as an arm draped over his waist and he nestled his face into Mettaton's neck.

"Go to sleep, darling. I'll wake you an hour before your shift."

' _oh… that's right…_ ' Sans thought hazily, Mettaton didn't know about the shift he had to cover. "m' boss told me I gotta work at 9… am…"

" _What?_ "

Oh boy. Mettaton didn't sound tired anymore. In fact, it felt like he was getting up.

' _no, no, don't… I didn't tell you about the other part…_ ' Sans held tight to Mettaton and mumbled, "s'okay… m' gonna quit…"

"It is not o- you… you are? Oh, thank the Stars, darling." Mettaton fell back onto the bed readily, hugging him close. "Don't worry Sans, you don't have to worry about a thing." He whispered, "Until you find something you love, other than me of course~, I'll take care of everything. And I'll help you find it."

The words were sweet with truth and that lovely hand was massaging the back of his skull and neck again. Sans heard himself make a rattling purr. He was too tired to be embarrassed about it, so he just enjoyed the affection.

"i know…" He trusted Mettaton to take care of things, just for a little while. Mettaton would help and it would be okay, he thought to himself as he fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

Sans would wake up at noon the next day, still tired but energized just enough to roll out of bed and find his robofriend and brother side by side on the couch, surrounded by magazines, newspapers, and two laptops. Papyrus would be rattling off his likes and dislikes, writing them all down in lists. Mettaton would be searching on his laptop half the time and flipping through paper the other. Job searching he would realize.

And as he reached the bottom step of the stairs, he would be greeted by large smiles.

"Darling!"

"BROTHER! GOOD AFTERNOON! METTATON HAS EXPLAINED WHY YOU ARE ALLOWED TO BE A LAZYBONES TODAY!"

Papyrus would exclaim that he took the day off to celebrate Sans' being happy and Sans would fight back the tears while exclaiming right back that he had the coolest bro in all the world. Once Papyrus skipped to the kitchen to make lunch, Mettaton would extend his arms and lift him from the staircase all the way to the couch. He'd lean in close and point with a flourish at the laptop screen.

"Darling, I hear you are a fan of the _stars_."

Sans would laugh at the intentional pun, laugh at his brother's disgruntled screech all the way from the kitchen, and remember to take a second look at the list of planetarium jobs that Mettaton had discovered for him.

 

**love you**

 


End file.
